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User blog:Segalia/Segalia Riverstorm's voyage
Chapter 1 The ottermaid] hefted the loaded sling in her paw. The weight was nice, comfortable. She raised it above her head and swung. Swish-wish-swish-swish, now! She released a strap and the stone flew. Bam! It hit the tree to the left of her target. As she reloaded her sling she considered. It wasn’t the target, but it was close. Pretty good. She was about to raise her sling and start twirling when she heard a rustling in the bushes. She turned. The sound came from near her bow and quiver. She had dropped them to come practice slinging. The young otter felt her waist. She didn’t have her dagger either.Oh no! What should she do? She could sneak inconspicuously to her weapons until she could grab them and use them. Or she could use the sling. Since she wasn’t accurate, she would have to use it loaded. The rustling suddenly stopped. The light brown maid turned quickly, moving closer to the bushes. She saw a form. It could be a rat or a mouse or even a ferret, weasel or stoat. She edged closer when… Whoosh! She was tackled by a flying strong form from the opposite direction. She immediately kicked it off, when she hit the ground, with her strong hardened muscles. She swung her sling when she realized what the form was. *** The Abbess sighed. A dibbun badger, very unusual, crawled on her lap. “Wot’is it, Mudder Abbess?” Abbess Fern smiled wearily at the dibbun, Maben. “Well nothing really. It’s just that it was such a bad harvest and winter is early and oh, I don’t know.” The young squirrel straightened up. “Well we have to save as much possible from the harvest.” She headed to the orchard. Maben shivered in the gust of cold wind that came through the door. Then he turned around and headed for the dormitories to his sleeping companions. Outside the Abbess ran into a young hedgehog maid named Korla. “Oops, sorry ma’am. Di’nt realize youse was there.” She backed away towards the frosted fruit trees. “It’s alright. Well what are we doing down…” She was cut off mid-sentence. The bell ringer, a hefty male hare ran up shouting. “Ma’am, there’s a big form out dere, of a bunch o’ creatures. I can’t tell what they are!” Abbess Fern struggled to remain calm. “So it could be a band of vermin, or just a bunch of hungry hares or other woodlanders.” “Well yes ma’am.” He let out a small chuckle of relief, “but you better come see anyways. You might have sharper eyes den me.” He led her away to the bell. The harvesters kept salvaging what was left in the bare orchard. *** The prone figure of an otter lay nearby. A squirrel emerged from the bushes. “Segalia! What did you do to him?” The squirrelmaid hurried to his side. The squirrel didn’t see the otter, Lijel cautiously open one eye and glance around, then close it again. Segalia moved her bow and quiver closer to her and put her dagger on her. She then put another stone in her sling and started swinging. “Oh don’t worry Ampanna. He’s just fakin’ it. He’ll be alright soon ‘nough.” “Ok, whatever then. So how’s the slinging practice going?” The pale brown squirrel turned to watch Segalia. “It’s ok. I’m definitely no expert.” She proved her words, by accidentally letting go at the wrong time and sending it towards Lijel. “Oops! Hee hee.” She giggled. “Hey! What’cha do that for!?” The dark brown otter jerked upright. “See, he’s fine.” Segalia whispered to Ampanna. To Lijel she said, “it was an accident, now can you get up, or do we haf’ta carry ya?” Groaning he stood up and stretched. “Hey Segalia! You shoulda seen yo face. Youse was so scared! Hee hee hee” “Yeah right Lijel. Now why you guys here at all?” “Well I wanted to come see you practice. Your mom wants you to come home, and Lijel came along so we could ambush ya.” Ampanna hung out with the otters a lot and was picking up some of their speech. “Ok then.” Segalia picked up all her stuff. “Race ya home!” She shot off Lijel right behind her. Ampanna started running after her friends, back to the holt. Chapter 2 -11 years ago- A stoat shivered as cold winds blew around him into his ragged tent. He heard a call. Grumbling he got to his feet. He forced himself out of the tent and over to another. “T’ain’t right! I shouldn’t hafta move in the middle of da snowstorm. What does he want now!?” In a well furnished tent with plush pillows and chairs and even a fire, there sat Grovelum the Malevolent, a fox. He controlled a band of mixed vermin, sea and land, and he had a small family as well. His wife sat next to him petting his head. The stoat entered. “Ah, Captain Dir. Come in. Sit down.” Captain Dir found a pillow next to the fire and sat down. “So why’d you call me here, Grovelum?” Grovelum ignored the informality and got right into it, speaking in his neat proper voice. “We need a kingdom. I have learned of many other vermin kings and queens who tried to take, the shore mountain,Salamandastron, or the abbey with red walls, Redwall i believe. They couldn’t and failed. But I have learned of another place, it is a grand inland lake, with an island. From there we could rule all of Mossflower Woods. As far as I know no one lives there but some pikes who could help guard the lake. What do you think?” The captain was a bit slow in taking this all in, “So, you don’t want the Sa-,Sal-, moun’ain,” Grovelum shook his head, “or da Wadrell place. And you want a lake?” Grovelum sighed. Captain Dir stiffened. When Grovelum sighed you knew trouble was coming. “No, Dir. There is a big island on the lake, where we could rule. You would be second in command in all of Mossflower. My wife and I would be king and queen. You would have great power, or since you can’t understand that shall we demote you?!!” His voice suddenly rising. “Nnno, I-I understand p-p-pperfectl-lly.” The stoat bowed so low shaking, that his head fur was singed in the fire. He jerked upright nodding. “Very well than. You are dismissed. We break camp in the morning.” The fox turned to his wife than said something hard to hear. Dir left the tent. Grovelum’s wife, Oxos nodded and pointed in the direction of the corner. He went to the corner of the tent and picked up two baby foxes. They were a boy and girl, and slumbered peacefully. He gently rocked them back and forth murmuring to them. He went and sat next to his wife who licked his cheek. The fox family sat lovingly together, midst the grand roaring storm. **Forward in time again *** Chapter 3 Ampanna raced into the camp, panting after her friends. They had entered and were leaning against some trees. Ampanna came up to them, "Segalia, dont forget to talk to yore mom." "Oh yeah." She straightened up from the tree and headed to the huts. Ampanna and her mom lived with the otter holt. They set up huts made of grass and branches-secure and easy to put up. They were traveling every few weeks closer to Redwall Abbey. Every week they had 1 big community dinner and the rest of the nights were at home. Lijel usually hang out with other kids not Ampanna and Segalia. Segalia exited from the huts. "Okay mom, see ya tonight!" "Well what shall we do, should we play a game, get otherbeasts together to play one, climb this here tree, or go swimming?" "This tree!? this tree has no branches till 10 ft. up! how're we supposed to climb that?" Lijel exclaimed Segalia laughed, "we stand on yore head and shoulders, and stretch and jump..." "and kill me in the process." lijel mumbled Ampanna said "Swimming sounds good." Lijel said, "Nah, i dont wanna swim. I think i'm gonna go." Segalia and Ampanna fell in step wtih him, "Where?" "Away from you two. augh!" he took a step back and they followed. "Stop it! He started chasing them and they ran laughing. *** Grovelum now a king had accomplished his plan and conquered the island. there had been a few pathetic birds and rats but they had bee thrown to the Teeth of the Deeps or submitted to his army.Some though he kept as farmers and collected some harvest each year. he didnt own slaves because he knew that that would be just leading to his destruction. he had also taken a while traveling from the foothills of the Northern Mountains to the Great Inland Lake and also getting to the island through the Teeth of the Deeps and the ospreys. He sat happily on his comfy paddy chair that served as a throne. He had been ruling the island for, lets see, about 9 years now. he, unlike most vermin lords had patience, so he took his time asserting his power over the island. Soon he would start conquering Redwall Abbey from his island stronghold. His ears pricked at the sound of pattering footpaws and soon his daughter closely followed by his son appeared arond the corner into the throne room. Hi dad!" shouted his 13 season old daughter, Selra who was ducking and avoiding her brother Riplar who was flailing his wet arm at her. Riplar was about the same height as his sister and the same age. that was about all that was similar. Riplar was a black fox with green eyes. Selra was an orange/gray/red fox with brilliant blue eyes. "Selra, RIplar. what is it? Selra why is he trying to hit you?" Grovelum asked them patiently. Riplar answered for hi sister, "She!" he pointeed a quiver paw at his sister, " Threw me in the lake and the Teeth of the Deep nearly ate me!" He tried to tackle his sister who evaded him. "Why, Riplar, I'm surprised she caught you. How did she manaage that?" He looked at his fighting kids with loving amusement in his eyes. "She tricked me! She pushed me in after she tricked me into looking at a "sea monster"." Selra was laughing so hard she was nearly crying. She doubled over with laughter enabling Riplar to tackle her sending her crashing to the stone floor. She laughed breathlessly. Grovelum was just rising out ofhis seat, when in gracefully floated his wife Oxos . She a blue/gray speckled fox, seperated the quarreling cubs. She scolded them, though not serverely. soon the cubs scampered off again. Oxos strode up to her husband. They talked of business and other random things. all in all it was a peaceful lighthearted environment. *** Abbess Fern looked out from the battlements to the "form". She frowned slightly and the bellringer, Wraltor looked at her anxiously. "What is it? Can you tell?i 'ope its not vermin. I'm dont be good at battling vermin. Dont want to actually kill abeast." He started rambling. Abbess Fern's tail suddenly stood straight up. Wraltor looked nervously at her and she broke out in a laugh. "Its nobeast bad, its just the Guosim. Let them in." She started scurrying down the steps. Wraltor raced after her, nearly setting the young squirrel off her footpaws. As soon as she was near to hearing distance of the salvaging group she started barking out orders. "who's the fastest beast here?" A small squirrel shot up her paw, at the same time as a young mole shot up his. "Go, tell the chefs and Sister Paldra to prepare a feast. Guosim are coming!" "Race ya!" the squirrelmaid shot off quickly followed by the mole who moved surprisingly fast. That taken care of Fern cast an eye over the orchards. "Thats good for now, bring it in to the kitchens and somebeast arrange the Dibbuns into some presentable order." Wraltor creaked the gates open and soon short, spiky furred creatures poured in. A very long-snouted shrew came up to the Abbess and saluted. "Hello! I am Log-a-log Lior. We Guosim came here to bring you this here beast," Some shrews shoved forward a brown beast. it was hard to tell what it was. He was covered with scabbards, daggers and swords so that you could scarcely see his tattered tunic underneath. on his back there was a bow and a quiver as well. there were spikes embedded in his tail. He was strong looking and the five shrews could barely hold him. "Well, who are you?" Abbess Fern's voice quivered a bit as she spoke but she stood strong. "I...I be's an otter! but these 'ere beasts can't tell th difference 'tween friend and foe and captured." The beast growled at the shrews. "Log-a-log Lior!" Fern reprimanded. "Why did you capture him?" "Look, could you tell 'e was an otter when you first laid eye on 'im?" He retorted. "No, but that is no reason to capture him. Release him!" The shrews obeyed and Abbess Fern started questioning the otter. "What is your name otter and how were you captured?" "My name be Silverfalcon Pikehawk. I was on me ship, the Daggerhawk, when these 'ere beasts boarded me ship, claiming i was a vermin and overwhelmed me." They continued talking as she led him gently into the Abbey. Chapter 4 Segalia leaped and did a flip, landing in the water. Bubbles swirled around tickling her and catching in her fur. As soon as her footpaws touched the floor of the river she leaped into the air twisting and landed hitting the water with her paw making a big splash. She did this again and again, leaping and hitting. Finally she stopped and surveyed her surroundings. She was in the River Moss, framed by tall trees. The holt had stopped here for just a bit of grub and rest. They had been traveling all morning and now the elders were deciding how to get across the River with the young'uns. The young'uns and the older kids had gone swimming in the river. As Segalia surveyed the confusing, yet fun scene she spotted a good climbing tree. An idea flashed through her mind and she swam smoothly to the shore. The tree was a flamboyant, a rare tree in these parts. It was a very good climbing tree and had bright red flowers, when in bloom. At the moment it had beautiful green leaves. It had branches that were easily in reach. Segalia pulled her dripping form out of the water onto the bank. She stole quietly to the tree and quickly clambered up it. She climbed up a ways then found a sturdy branch that stretched out over the river. She made sure there was no one directly underneath then she jumped. "Riverstorm!" She yelled cannonballing into the water. Ampanna was standing on the bank about to dive into the water. Segalia plunged into the water creating a humongous splash. Segalia whooped with joy while Ampanna shook herself madly, dripping wet. Segalia emerged from the water and saw Ampanna soaked. She burst out laughing and so did Lijel. "Sorry, Ampanna. I didn't mean too" Segalia collapsed in a burst of giggles. Some of the other otters were laughing too. Soon the elders called them in. It was time to eat. They were moving on. *** Captain, now Dir sighed contentedly and took another swig of grog. NOne of the crew had minded moving super slowly from the Northern Mountains.